Diego

by Hope Stone

  “Easy. We’re going to war. I have to set the example now I’m president. Did they see reason? No. So then we ain’t backing down either.” Ryder’s sleepy voice sprang to life.

  I looked out my window from the kitchen. Merced, outside of the city limits, reminded me of the desert a little and our sojourn down to Tijuana. Wrong time to be thinking about that, but I needed a happy memory. I switched back to the conversation.

  “I found both their profiles online. Jimmy Santos and Blaze Hernandez. You know ‘em?”

  “Yeah, I know both those cretins. We can take ‘em down easy.”

  “A few other things…” I cringed as I launched all that was hidden. “I’m pretty sure I got a visit from them earlier in the week, with a small fire at the warehouse. They were harassing Misty too.”

  “Misty? What the fuck has she got to do with this? I thought I told you the girl was bad news and to stay the hell away from her?” Ryder sounded like an angry father chastising his kid.

  I drained the last of my beer and sighed. “Ryder, they harassed her, she ain’t got nothing to do with these two. Keep her out of it. Both of these guys are trying to start a pro’ ring. I met a pro’ who told me they tried to pimp her.”

  “You were holding all this?” Ryder’s voice was in full command now. He meant business.

  “I did, but I thought I could handle it and it wasn't going anywhere.”

  “Diego, this is what the chapter is for. To lean on. I’m gathering the boys and we are riding in tomorrow morning. What’s the next instruction for the ransom?”

  “I mean, I don’t even know if it's legitimate, first off.”

  “Oh, it's legitimate. Las Balas don’t declare anything unless it is. They wouldn’t have sent that to you if it wasn’t.”

  “There's a divide in the chapter though, Ryder. I don’t know that all of Las Balas is in on this.” As the words flew out of my mouth I wondered how it came to be that I was advocating for Las Balas.

  “You chickenshit. You’re bigging them up now? Diego, that girl has got you twisted. She’s probably a mole sent to infiltrate the chapter set-up.”

  I felt the anger flowing through me the more Ryder brought Misty up. I would stand for her no matter what, I realized. I would have to trust her in this situation. “Leave her out of it, Ryder.”

  “We don’t have long to set this up. If I need to set the wheels in motion, I’m going to let them know we’re coming for ‘em.”

  “No surprise tactics?”

  “We could rush the chapter, yeah, but I gotta see how we’re going to work this. Be ready. I’m calling the boys now. We’ll be near your place at sunrise or thereabouts. I need maps if you have them. I need a location for the pro’ you met too. I need to see if we can get in touch with what they're doing. We are coming in strapped. Be ready, Diego.”

  “Okay” was all I could manage to get out before the phone clicked dead. My stomach dropped. I didn’t want a chapter war. I came to Merced to get away from that shit. I couldn’t go back to sleep. My mind was racing and I was too wired.

  Las Balas headquarters were situated at the back of Merced toward the airport. From what I heard, the clubhouse was relatively small. I pulled out one of the Merced maps from my kitchen drawer that I picked up at the Information Center in town. I thought back to last time Outlaw Souls raided a chapter. It was a long time ago and I hadn’t been part of it.

  “Moves had to put a stop to a few things. Las Balas was trying to steal from us. He put a few clips in their crew.” Yoda had relayed the tale over a few drinks at Blue Dog Saloon.

  “What happened to Moves? I never talked to him about it.”

  “He got hit. A few of the other guys had to back him up. We lost two in the fight, but at least Las Balas knew we were a force. That they couldn’t fuck with us. Ryder was there too.”

  “Man, that’s crazy,” I mumbled.

  “Sure was a crazy time, but Padre set it straight and it came to a mutual truce between us as gangs. But we’ve always had a little beef with them. We’ve always been ready to strike if necessary. I wouldn’t trust Las Balas as far I could throw them,” Yoda lamented.

  That was then and this was now. Ready to go to war again. I wanted Misty to be safe. My body and mind were torn. I wanted her with me so I could protect her if what she said was true. On the other hand, I wanted her away from me so she wouldn’t be a part of what was going on.

  Hours passed as I ran the checklist of possibilities through my mind. None of them included giving these suckers the money. Looking at them online, I would take my chances that both of them would fold under pressure. To me they were amateurs.

  The promise of daylight broke through around five a.m. The navy-blue sky lifted to slate-gray as I poured a cup of coffee and waited for Ryder to arrive. The almighty purr of the motorcycle engines came through, lifting me from my erratic thoughts. Three loud thumps sounded off at the door. Grim-faced, I rose from the kitchen table and opened the door. Ryder with his wiry build and mangy beard was equally grim-faced.

  “Hey, wassup, man.” Ryder dapped me with a tap on the back. Yoda, Trainer, Moves and Vlad walked in. If Vlad and Moves were here, then I knew it was serious business.

  Vlad stood an imposing figure at six-feet-five, tattoo sleeves running the length of both of his arms, stopping at the wrists. He was heavily muscled from top to bottom, taking up most of the door frame when he entered. He dapped me after Ryder and entered my house, making it look small. Even his face was muscled and his eyes held the energy of a killer.

  “Vlad. How you doin’, man?”

  “Good, good.” A man of few words, he looked around my place and peeked his head around the corners. “Nice place, man. Good for you, you come here. We got some business to take care of, huh?” Vlad gestured in his disjointed Russian accent.

  I kneaded the muscles at the back of my neck. “Looks like it. A ransom is on my head.”

  Vlad nodded and looked to Ryder. “Can we pay?” Obviously Vlad hadn’t been briefed on the non-payment arrangement.

  Ryder shook his legs out from the ride. “No. We ain’t paying shit, Vlad.” The defiance in his booming voice made it ultra-clear. Vlad nodded in respect at the answer.

  “Where can we get breakfast around here? Let’s talk.” Ryder switched the subject swiftly.

  “Up a little further they got breakfast spots, or close to the warehouse. If we head there, we can keep an eye on things better.”

  “You're right,” Yoda said. He was already at the door, ready to go.

  I grabbed my jacket from the couch and led the guys back out the door.

  Ryder pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth, cupping his hands around it as he used his lighter to spark up. He took a puff and the smoke released from his nostrils like a dragon.

  Vlad put his fists together. “I got a nice knuckle sandwich for these fucks if they try it.”

  Moves chuckled as he headed over to his black, sleek Harley. His motorbike was custom-fit just for him. His bike was laced with shiny black chrome with a Jaguar spray-painted on the side.

  Ryder slid his helmet on and looked at me. “Lead the way, brother.”

  I signaled and all engines purred at once as we headed to my favorite breakfast spot. We hit the road and pulled up in the gravel parking lot. A few people came out of the diner and stared at us heavy. We all ignored them. I swung in the door first and headed to the counter.

  “Hey, Marcelle, how you doin’ this morning?”

  “We good. How are you, Diego? I see you brought your crew with you. Big boys. Time to eat, I see.” Marcelle was an older Spanish lady who cooked a mean bacon and egg sandwich. Not too bad with the pancakes as well. I turned sideways and all the boys were looking at the menu up above.

  “Yes, time to eat,” I replied simply.

  We pulled up at the biggest booth and started talking strategy.

  I spoke first. “Look, this might not be Las Balas. There’s a possibility t
hese two are operating by themselves on the fly. They’re just using the Las Balas name.”

  Ryder replied gruffly, “How do you know that?” Marcelle came out with two jugs of juice and put them in the middle of the table.

  “Sources. These guys apparently got kicked out of Las Balas. So you don’t want to start a war for no reason.”

  Yoda made a strange face at me. “Well, no, we don’t want to start a war. But you got a ransom on your head so we can’t just sit here and let that happen.”

  Moves coughed and stepped in. “We can case the joint and leave a warning to see how they respond. If we’re going to do that, we gotta do it today. You got until tomorrow, right?”

  Ryder tapped Moves. “Let’s get to the warehouse. You haven’t even heard from these guys, right? I mean, they haven’t even given you the next steps for instruction. They don’t sound organized. If they were with Las Balas, this would be coming a different way. It’s not like them. I mean, we didn’t exactly sit down and have cups of tea last time but they sure as hell ran it a lot smoother.”

  Marcelle dropped a plate with egg and bacon sandwiches for everyone at the table. All of them were wrapped in brown lunch paper covering. I unraveled mine and sank my teeth in. The runny egg yolk ran out onto the table. I cleared it up with a napkin.

  “We can send a warning shot. That’s what we need to do,” Vlad said. “That way we know if those punk-ass bitches are operating separately.” He devoured his egg and bacon sandwich in about two bites. He flagged Marcelle from afar and pointed to his sandwich.

  “You want another one?” she called from the front counter.

  “Yes, ma’am, these are delicious.” Vlad had a big grin on his face. He was a big softie unless he was hunting you down.

  “Vlad, let’s get it to go. We got work to do,” Ryder said before turning back to me. “Do they have your number? Have these clowns attempted to call you?”

  “No, no phone contact, they just dropped off the letter and said to wait for the next contact.” Ryder turned over his fingers on his hand and looked at them. He wore a jade ring. Never saw him once without it. Must have meant something to him.

  “Huh. So if I’m right and they came twice to the warehouse, then they will have a present there when we arrive. You said they tried to scare you with the fire situation. So let’s be prepared when we ride in.”

  Every one of the boys looked to Ryder and nodded in agreement. The war was starting and I was powerless to stop it.

  Marcelle came to the table and pushed the egg and bacon sandwich into Vlad’s large hands.

  “Thank you. How much?”

  “Nothing for you. On the house.” She winked at him and nodded her head out the window. “Come back more often, you’re good for business, fellas.” A crowd of people had stopped outside, taking a look at the pimped-out bikes in the parking lot and whispering.

  We all laughed.

  “Will do.” Vlad’s eyes opened and he high-fived Marcelle. She laughed and wiped her hands on her apron.

  “Guys, let’s head to the warehouse.” I summoned the crew to get a move on. My head was telling me that news was at the other end. We looked like a football team putting on our helmets. Cars beeped as they went past. I led the charge out to the warehouse. I idled as we reached the edge of the parking lot. From a distance, everything looked to be in order. I let Moves and Vlad in front. They crept in and parked right out front of the warehouse. Both of them dismounted off their bikes and pulled their pieces from under their waistbands. Two imposing hulks casing the warehouse. We waited at the entrance. Minutes later, both of them beckoned, letting Yoda, Ryder and me know the coast was clear for us to come forward. I dismounted.

  Vlad with his tight jaw said, “Lead the way.” I nodded and pressed the alarm code on the wall and unlocked the front door. I flicked on all the lights. Vlad and Moves stepped past me and slid along the perimeter on each side with their guns raised. The air held tension. Something made me look down. Another letter. These guys like to use their pens. I’m surprised they’re smart enough to be able to write.

  I picked it up. Ryder and Yoda watched in anticipation. The envelope had some weight to it. I opened it up. Inside was a cheap prepaid phone and a note.

  Use this phone. We will contact you on it. You now have 24 hours to get our money. We assume you have it by now. We want you to pack a garbage bag with the full funds in $100,000 bundles at Fahrens Park entrance. On the way in is a garbage can. Drop the money in there at 23 hundred hours. Come alone. If you don’t we'll kill you and execute phase two of our plan. You’ve been warned.

  Ryder waited patiently until I finished the letter. I handed it to him. His eyes scanned through at a quick speed. I watched as he passed it to Yoda.

  Vlad and Moves anticipated the next set of instructions.

  “So it looks like these guys think they are some kind of mafia dudes. We ain’t gonna play around with them. I say we bum-rush their chapter beforehand. If we give them this ransom, then they will keep extorting us. This can’t be Las Balas, they play the game better than this. I think you might be right, Diego. These clowns are solo. If they are, we are in luck and will squash both of them like the disgusting rodents they are.” One side of Ryder’s face curled up in a snarl so nasty it even made me step back a little. I breathed out. Might be one small step.

  “We will back you up when you go out, Diego. You’re not going out there alone. We can drop a bag of fake money in there. These guys are full of shit.”

  I stood there, thinking about it. The whole thing didn’t make sense. “It’s like they want us to start a war with Las Balas.” I rifled my hands through the tangles in my hair. “I say we call their bluff and I go out and dump the bag like Vlad said.” I stared at Ryder, waiting for a response. “What would be even better is if we can get a source to help us locate these punks.” I tapped Ryder as he paced the warehouse. “We got the new sign-up as well and he has a security crew. Maybe swear him in as the Merced Enforcer. We can get them to set some traps up at Fahren.”

  Ryder stroked his beard. “That’s a plan I like. Get them on the phone, set it up.” His eyes glistened as his mouth moved to a smile. “Time to get down and dirty in Merced.”

  Twenty

  Misty

  The dark of my room made me feel suffocated so I got up and snuck into the kitchen and turned the light on. The ticking of the clock sounded like death’s doorknock to me. By now, Diego had just over twenty-four hours left to go before he had to deliver the ransom. Jimmy and Blaze, what a combination. I hadn’t heard from Diego in a day, and the worry was gnawing away at me, slowly but surely. I had school tomorrow, but it didn’t matter. The last few days had been a blurry mess of lectures and staring off into space.

  I wondered if a calming cup of tea might settle my nerves. I boiled some water on the stove and waited for it to whistle. No sound came from the other end of the house, but I knew Palo was here. I peeped out and down the hallway. The light was on in the office. The pot whistled and I threw a tea bag in and let the water trickle into the cup. I heard my phone beep and my stomach jumped a little. I quickly poured and went back to my room. I looked at the blue screen.

  “Give your brother the heads-up. The chapter might get raided. I’m trying to redirect. Call you later k.”

  I nearly dropped my cup. Some of the water splashed on my hand as I read the message again. Shit. I had to come up with something quick.

  “K. Can you talk?”

  “Yeah I got a few.”

  I rang his phone and sucked in a deep breath.

  “Hey, papi.”

  “Hey, mama. How you holding up?”

  “I’m not. I’m worried sick.”

  “I know. Listen, I'm trying my best. I don’t think they will. I know those dweebs are trying to start the war and get the money.”

  “They are. If I can get my bro’ to concentrate on finding them. I will. I have a plan.”

  “Babe,” he pleaded.

&nb
sp; “No, wait. Hear me out. I’m going to tell Palo they’re following me. That way he can work on finding them. I can find out where they live. I can let you know,” I begged Diego.

  “Hmm. Might work, is he there?”

  “Yep. He’s in the office. I’m going to talk to him. I’ll text you.”

  “Baby, be careful. I don’t want this backfiring.”

  “If Outlaw Souls start a war…what’s going to happen between us? We have to stop it!” I cried. “We’ll never make it.” Short breaths made it hard for me to get my words out.

  “That’s my girl. Okay. Make it work. I’ll do what I can on my end. Keep me posted.”

  “Diego. Please stay safe. I love you.”

  “I love you too, lil’ mama.” The phone clicked off and I walked out to see Palo. As I approached the door, I heard him talking on the phone.

  “The warehouse is at the back of Merced? Okay. That’s it. Time for a visit from Las Balas. Nobody messes with my sister.” I coughed loudly so he could hear me and watched him nearly fly out of his chair. The seat moved under him and he had to place his two hands on the table to regain stability. I just looked at his bald head. “How much did you hear?”

  “All of it. I need to talk to you about something.”

  He pointed to the spare chair in the office. “Have a seat.”

  “I know who the two guys are.”

  Palo’s two hands were in the shape of a triangle as he pressed his fingertips together. His brow was furrowed into a V shape, looking at me. “No shit.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “I mean Jimmy and Blaze, right? They aren’t gone. You didn’t do your job. They’re still following me.” I cringed slightly as I watched my brother's face. It was so hard to lie to him. I wondered if I should have just told him the truth. Too late now, I was already trapped in the lie.

  “What the fuck! How? What did they say?” He sprayed spit towards me and it landed on my leg. I wiped it off quickly.

  I licked my lips and said to him, “They threatened to follow me to campus. I looked them up. Why didn’t you tell me Jimmy Santos had a record for sexual assault? Now he’s after me?” I pointed to myself.